The idea of running a game of Pokemons using FC has gripped me and will not let go. PCs would start at level 5, as Whatever 4/Beastmaster 1. Beastmaster's Exotic Partner ability expands the Type available for your Animal Partner to all kinds of wacky types sufficient to accommodate most Pokemon (excepting Porygon, which I'm pretty sure is a Construct).So what are some builds to maximize on the effectiveness of Animal partners? What are some ways to encourage the players to do so rather than entering conflict directly?

The Coordinated Move/Attack/Strike chain are pretty mandatory for any pokeman battler who doesn't get directly involved.As for the nuts and bolts of actually preventing trainers from getting directly involved, I'd use the Code of Honor campaign quality.

I'm pretty sure that the Lancer's Lifetime Companion ability doesn't interact with the Exotic Partner special ability from Beastmaster. Lifetime Companion grants you a "mount as per the Animal Partner feat," but I don't think that the mount is an "Animal Partner" if I'm correctly reading Rules As Written.So your actual Animal Partner, which you got from your feat, that would get the Exotic Partner weird type changes and XP bonuses, but your Lifetime Companion wouldn't - presumably it would be a Normal-Type. Maybe your Lifetime Companion is your Rattata. Maybe you are just really attached to that Rattata.

I really like Mister Andersen's idea. Your core Pokeman(s) are the one that are your Animal Partner(s), and your alternates and benchwarmers, the ones your don't pull out as often, those are Contacts.

Maybe your Lifetime Companion is your Rattata. Maybe you are just really attached to that Rattata.

Maybe it's in the top percentage of all Rattata?

I've had a player do this in GURPS, using the multiple allys advantage with the summonable modifier. Not sure how I'd do it in this, but contacts is very interesting. Beastmaster could pull if off, too (with their ability to take multiple lower power beasts - kinda like levelling up a team vs dominating with your starter).

I'm pretty sure that the Lancer's Lifetime Companion ability doesn't interact with the Exotic Partner special ability from Beastmaster. Lifetime Companion grants you a "mount as per the Animal Partner feat," but I don't think that the mount is an "Animal Partner" if I'm correctly reading Rules As Written.

Sure it does. Otherwise the RAW wouldn't need to inform you that you could take the Animal Partner feat a second time as character options allow.